Fluid application device



Jan. 25, 1966 J. A. FLIPPEN 3,

FLUID APPLICATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 9, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fm. Z

l NVENTOK A. FZ/ppE/V Jan. 25, 1966 J. A. FLIPPEN 3,230,570

FLUID APPLICATION DEVICE Filed NOV. 9, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR./4ME5' A. fiZ/PPEA/ mwlg gw A TTOQ/VE V5 Jan. 25, 1966 .1. A. FLIPPEN 3,

FLUID APPLICATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 9, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.J4M5 A. fZ/PPE/V ,4 TTOIQ/VE Y5 Jan. 25, 1966 J. A. FLIPPEN 3,230,570

FLUID APPLICATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 9, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.JZMES A. FL/PPE/V United States Patent 3,230,570 FLUID APPLICATIONDEVICE James A. Flippen, 1855 Rose Ave., Orange, Calif. Filed Nov. 9,1964, Ser. No. 411,179 28 Claims. (Cl. 15503) This is acontinuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 297,243,filed July 24, 1963, for Fluid Application Device now abandoned.

This invention pertains to the application of fluid, such as a coatingmaterial, and more particularly to painting by means of a roller.

One important field for the device of this invention is in the paintingof stripes, although its principles are of more general utility. Paintstriping, of course, is prevalent for marking parking areas and for manyother purposes. The arrangement of this invention provides a manuallyoperable device which provides an improve-d uniform stripe, while beingmore easily operated and requiring less labor than conventional designs.This is accomplished by means of a chassis that carries the paint rollerbetween the front wheels, and supports a paint can from which is pumpedthe paint to supply the roller. The roller includes a plurality of foamplastic annular members providing passageways in between their adjacentedges for the paint to be fed outwardly. The pump is driven by thewheels of the unit, and a hand control governs the operation of thepump. This provides a constant supply of paint when desired, andcompletely cuts otf the paint flow when the unit is stopped.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedarrangement for applying paint by a roller.

Another object of this invention is to provide a roller that has aninternal feed to apply the paint uniformly and in a clearly delineatedstripe.

A further object of this invention is to provide a painting unit inwhich most of the components that contact the paint are disposable,thereby reducing the required amount of labor.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a portable paintingdevice that includes a pump driven by manipulation of the unit.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a paint roller thatwill conform to uneven surfaces.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a paint striperhaving a positive cut olf of paint supply when desired, and which ismore easily operated than conventional units.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the painting device of thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, partially insection, of the painting device;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partially insection, of the pump portion of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 furtherillustrating the pump construction;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE3, showing how the feed tube can be released;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 4,illustrating the pump mounting that permits it to assume either a drivenor an inactive position; FIGURE 7 is an enlarged transverse sectionalview taken along line 7--7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE7, illustrating the roller construction;

Patented Jan. 25, 1966 FIGURE 9 is an elevational view showing how theroller conforms to uneven surfaces;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the device of this inventionincorporating a different roller mounting arrangement;

FIGURE 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the roller of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the core of the roller assemblyseparated from the remainder of the unit;

FIGURE 13 is a transverse sectional view of the roller taken along line13-13 of FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken at line 14 in FIGURE 13,showing the slots formed in the periphery of the roller discs;

FIGURE 15 is an elevational view, partially broken away, of the outersleeve of the roller;

FIGURE 16 is a transverse sectional view of the sleeve taken along line16-16 of FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary elevational view, partially in section,showing the attachments of the wheel and roller at one side of theforward portion of the chassis;

FIGURE 18 is a longitudinal elevational view of the roller, partially insection, illustrating the use of spacers to accommodate a shorter sleevefor painting a narrower stripe; and

FIGURE 19 is an elevational view showing how the guide rod can be usedin supporting the front of the chassis with the roller off the ground.

With reference to the drawings, as seen in FIGURE 1 the device of thisinvention includes a chassis 1 provided with a pair of front wheels 2and a pair of larger rear wheels 3. A handle 4 inclines upwardly fromthe rear portion of the chassis so that the unit can be operatedmanually over any desired surface. A supply reservoir 5 on the chassisholds the paint which is drawn through tube 6 by a pump 7 and directedinto an interior of the roller 8 that is mounted between the frontwheels 2.

With reference now to FIGURE 2, it may be seen that the chassis 1includes a horizontal plate 10 that is adapted to receive the paintreservoir 5. A flange 11 projects upwardly from the surface 10 and thumbscrews 12 are threadably received in the flange for engagement with thelower wall of the container 5.

One of the advantages of the arrangement of this invention is that thereservoir 5 may be an ordinary paint can supplied by the paintmanufacturer. In other words, the paint can in which the paint normallyis distributed serves as the supply source for the unit. This obviatesany need for pouring the paint into a special container. Even moreimportantly, it eliminates cleanup of the reservoir portion of the unitbecause the paint can is discarded when empty. It is a simple matter,therefore, to dispose of the paint can 5 on the plate 10 where it isheld in place firmly by the thumb screws 12, and there is no handling ofthe paint by the operator of the uni of this invention.

The lid of the paint can need not be removed, and instead a hole ispunched into it. This is to complementarily receive the rigid end 13 ofthe tube assembly 6. This tube is inserted down to the bottom end wall14 of the paint can, and the end 15 of the tubular section 13 is scarfedso that an entrance to the tube is assured. The other end of tube 13includes an angularly bent section 16 over which is slipped one end offlexible tube 17. The latter tube passes through the pump 7 extending tothe axis of the roller 8 to supply the paint to the interior of theroller.

With particular reference now to FIGURES 3 and 4, the pump 7 includesdisc 18 rotatable about the axis of stud 19 passing through supportplate 20'. The disc 18 by means of pins 21 carries a plurality ofrollers 22. These rollers project outwardly beyond the periphery of thedisc. The pins 21 are mounted about an imaginary circle that isconcentric with the axis of the disc 18, and are parallel to the discaxis. The tubular element 17 extends around one side of thecircumference of the disc 18, hence being engageable by the rollers 22upon rota tion of the disc. On the opposite side of the tubular section17 adjacent the disc 18 is a channel 23. This member is pivotally heldto the support 20 by means of a pin 24. The channel 23 includes anarcuate surface 25 having a radius slightly greater than that of an aredescribed by the periphery of the rollers 22 upon rotation of the disc18. Consequently, when the channel 23 is in the solid-line position ofFIGURE 3, rotation of the disc 18 will cause the rollers 22 tosuccessively flatten the tube locally as they move across the tubesouter surface toward the roller 8. There will be pockets of undeflatedportions of the tube intermediate the rollers providing a space forpaint in the tube 17. Hence, the rollers, cooperating with the backingprovided by the channel 23, cause the paint to be sucked through thetube 6, entering the rigid portion 13 and thence passing into theflexible section 17. Preferably, the tubular portion 13 is made of clearplastic so that there will be a visible indication of operation of thepump.

The channel 23 is maintained in the solid-line position adjacent thedisc 18 by means of a tension spring 26 connecting to the channel 23 andthe support plate 20. This spring holds the channel 23 adjacent disc 18to assure that the flexible tube 17 will be compressed by the rollers22, but limits the positioning force so that the tube 17 will not beworn unduly as the pump operates. A short rigid tube 28 in the flexibletube 17 above a restriction formed by a hook 29 prevents the tube 17from being drawn downwardly as the rollers 22 move over it.

p The use of a spring urging the channel 23 toward the circumference ofrevolution of the disc 18 and its rollers 22 has a further advantage inlimiting the pressure that can be exerted by the pump. If the backpressure in the tube 17 becomes excessive, the spring 26 will allow thechannel 23 to move outwardly away from the rotor so that the rollers 22will no longer fully compress the tube 17. This occurs because thepressurized fluid in the tube 17 will cooperate with the rollers 22 toforce the channel 23 in a counterclockwise direction, pivoting it aboutits shaft 24. In other words, when a down stream resistance is met, thepressure will build up in the tube 17 to where, instead of compressingthe tube as shown in FIGURE 3, the rollers will merely rotate theback-up channel 23 away from the disc 18 an amount suflicient to reduceor substantially eliminate the compression of the tube. This, in turn,decreases or even stops the pumping action. The tension of spring 26 maybe selected to set the back pressure at which the back-up channel 23will be pivoted away from the rotor in this manner. As a result, themaximum pressure of the pump can be established. This protects againstrupturing the feed tube or causing other damage in the event that theroller assembly or other downstream portion of the device should becomeclogged with dried paint or otherwise obstructed.

Channel 23 may be shifted to the phantom-line posi tion of FIGURE 3where it is spaced from the tube section 17, thereby allowing the tubeassembly 6 to be re moved from the pump for replacement or cleaning. Thechannel 23 is moved to the released position by pulling on short handle27 projecting from the side of the lower portion of the channel 23,rotating the channel about the pin 24 in a counterclockwise direction asseen in FIGURE 3. Carried'by the channel 23 is a plunger 30, shown indetail in FIGURE 5. The plunger has an end 31 biased against supportmember 20 by means of a compression spring 32. Therefore, when thechannel is moved back to where the end 31 passes the outer edge of thesupport element 20, the plunger moves past the edge, precluding thechannel from moving in a clock- Wise direction toward the disc 18. Thechannel 23 may be returned to its original position by pulling axiallyon the plunger 30, whereupon the spring 26 moves the channel back intothe position of adjacency with the periphery of the disc 18.

Rotation of the disc 18 and hence the operation of the pump isaccomplished by means of a drive wheel 34 which, by stud 19, connects tothe disc and is rotatable therewith. The drive wheel 34 carries anannular projecting element 36 of a suitable material having a relativelyhigh coefficient of friction, such as rubber, which is adapted to engagethe circumferential surface 38 of one of the rear wheels 3 of the unit.Hence, there is a friction drive from the wheel 3 to the drive pulley 34which, in turn, rotates the disc 18. This sets the pump in operation atthe time that the device is rolled over the pavement or other supportingsurface.

The wheel 34 normally is maintained slightly spaced from the periphery38 of the wheel 3 so that the pump is not in operation. This position isshown in solid lines in FIGURE 6. The member 20 that supports the pumpand the pulley 34 is pivotally carried on the fixed frame section 40 ofthe device by means of a shaft 41. A lever 42 extends outwardly from theshaft 41, engaged on its upper surface by a compression spring 43. Theopposite end of spring 43 contacts a fixed sleeve 44. Hence, the springforce biases the lever 42 in a clockwise direction as the invention isillustrated, tending to rotate the member 20 also in this direction,which moves the pulley 34 away from circumference 38 of the supportwheel 3.

A flexible cable 46 connects to the lever 42 extending upwardly throughspring 43 and the tubular handle 4 where it connects to the end of apivotal bell crank element 47 adjacent the handgrip 48 (see FIGURE 1).

Thus, to cause the unit to pump, the operator rolls the device acrossthe supporting surface so that the rear wheels 3 are set in motion. Bypressing the crank 47 toward the handgrip 48 the cable 46 is pulledupwardly, thereby rotating the bell crank 42 and the support 20 in acounterclockwise direction. This brings the peripheral member 36 of thedrive pulley 34 against the circumferential surface 38 of the wheel 3 sothat the disc 18 is driven.

In this manner it can be seen that there is a precise control over thepumping of the paint through the tube 6. The pump operates only uponmovement of the crank 47 so that the operator can commence the applyingof paint to the roller at exactly the desired time. When the crank 47 isreleased no pumping action takes place so that there is no flowwhatsoever through the tube 6. No valves are needed in cutting off theflow to the roller. This contrasts with the usual construction of paintstripers which rely upon a gravity feed and require the closing ofvalves to stop the paint flow and prevent leakage. The valves also arevulnerable to clogging, and frequently lead to malfunctioning whenplugged up.

With reference to FIGURES 7 and 8, the front wheels 2 are integral withradial flanges 49 which are spaced inwardly from the wheels. The flangesact as hub portions of the roller assembly, providing shoulders 58'which position the roller inwardly away from the wheels. This assuresthat the wheels 2 will not be contacted by the paint on the roller 8.The hubs 4Q carry a tube 51 which may be a pasteboard member. Bonded onthe exterior of tube 51 is a plurality of annular flexible members 52,preferably made of foam plastic. At the locations of the junctures 53between the radial walls of the aligned annular members 52 are openings54 through the tube 51.

A rigid tube 55 extends through the axis of the roller assemblyinterconnecting the wheels and connecting at its outer end to the lowerend of the tubular section 17.

Within the space between the flanges 49 the tube 55 is provided withopenings 56.

Around the exterior of the tube 55 and within the tube 51 is a cylinder57, which may be made of wood. Its inner circumferential wall 58 isslightly larger than the outside diameter of the tube 55, while itsouter wall 59 is smaller than the inside of the tube 51. Similarly, thelength of the cylinder 57 is less than the spacing between the innersurfaces of the flanges 49. Relatively large radial openings 69 extendthrough the cylinder 57 between the inner and outer Walls 58 and 59.

In operation of the unit, therefore, the pump 7 supplies paint to theinterior of the tube 55 at the axis of the roller 8. This plaint canpass outwardly through the openings 56 and continue in the radialdirection toward the tube 51. The cylinder 57 is loose within the spaceinwardly of the tube 51 and allows the paint to pass through the largeradial openings 60. The openings 56 and 60, therefore, need not be inregistry. The cylinder 57 acts solely as a filler block, occupying aconsiderable volume within the central portion of the roller so that theroller will contain less paint within it than otherwise would berequired. This, in turn, assures that when the unit is stopped there ispractically no likelihood of leakage through the roller 8.

The paint from the interior of the roller will reach the openings 54 intube 51. This supplies a quantity of paint at each juncture 53 betweenthe radial walls of the annular foam elements 52. The paint then feedsoutwardly through the restricted paths between the radial walls of theadjacent annular members 52. It does not pass through these members, butis fed to the exterior of the roller through the slits defined by theradial walls of the elements 52. It may be noted in passing that themembers 52 may be of a material that will absorb a certain amount ofpaint as would a sponge. A resilient open-cell foam plastic is of thisnature. However, the paint will not flow through the very highresistance of the cellular foam members, but instead will follow thepassageways provided between the radial walls of the adjacent members52. Thus, the members 52 need not be entirely impervious to the passageof paint, but in effect they are substantially so.

Consequently, a properly metered amount of paint reaches thecircumference 61 of the roller 8, where it is distributed evenly alongthe circumferential surface and applied to any adjacent object which theroller contacts. This is a vastly improved technique from prior designswhere there have been efforts to feed the paint through the rollermaterial rather than along radial surfaces as in this design. Such priorarrangements were characterized by an uneven distribution of paint andlocalized surges of paint to the roller exterior. This caused theseunits to paint stripes of varying widths without uniformity. Pre- 'viousdesigns have been particularly unsatisfactory for viscous paint, whichis applied without difficulty by the roller of this invention.

Another advantage accrues from the use of the plurality of separateannular members 52 by facilitating the painting of uneven surfaces.Thus, as seen in FIGURE 9, the members 52 may move independently intothe depression in the surface 62, while at the same time maintaining thepath for the paint through the adjacent radial walls of these members.

Also, it may be observed that the foam plastic members 52 can beflattened without increasing in width. Being cellular in nature, thereis no necessity to displace material laterally when they are compressed.Therefore, the line being painted remains a precisely constant widthdespite the weight of the paint in the reservoir 5, or whether theroller is applying paint over an uneven surface.

The arrangement of this invention is constructed so that the roller maybe removed and cleaned or discarded very readily. The front plates 66and 67 that mount the roller are interconnected by a transverse rod 68which is located inwardly of and parallel to the roller 8.

The rod 68 includes a knob 69 on the outside of the sheet 66, and acollar 70 on the inner face of the member 66. The opposite end of thecross rod 68 is threaded and threadably received within an aperture inthe other side plate 67. Pairs of nuts 72 and 73 form stops at this endof the rod 68. Accordingly, in order to remove the roller 8, the knob 69is rotated, thereby moving the plate 67 relative to the shaft by virtueof the threaded connection. This causes the plates to assume theposition illustrated in phantom in FIGURE 7. Short axle 75 of the rollerthen drops out of its opening in plate 66, being biased away from theplate 66 by a spring loaded ball 76 in a housing 77. The outer end ofthe tube 55 at the opposite end of the roller slides out of the fitting78 at the location where the flexible tube connects to the roller. Thehubs 49 then merely are pulled out from the cylinder 51 so that thiscylinder and its associated annular members 52 may be separated from thefiller block 57 and the tube 55.

As pointed out above, the assembly of the annular members 52 and thecylinder 51 are of such low cost construction that generally it ispreferred to discard these items after each use rather than to attemptto clean them. Labor is reduced to a minimum, and the cleaning operationvirtually is eliminated.

The unit is assembled as readily as it is dismantled with the hub endsbeing fitted into the cylinder 51 being installed, the roller axlesbeing inserted into their receptacles, and the knob 69 rotatedappropriately to move the plates 66 and 67 together. Hence, the unit istaken apart and reassembled in just a few moments of time.

Also in the cleanup procedure it is preferred normally to discard theentire tube assembly 6 and replace it with a new unit for the nextoperation. Of course, as previously noted, the receptacle 5 for thepaint normally will be the container supplied by the manufacturer sothat it, too, will be thrown away when empty. Thus, there is practicallyno cleaning to be done in connection with the use of the painting deviceof this invention, and the savings in time and labor become of majorsignificance.

In assisting in the painting of an accurately directed line, it may bepreferred to include a guide rod 80 with the unit. This member isreceived at its inner end by a fitting 81 on a transverse shaft 82. Thefitting is rotatable with shaft 82 by virtue of the set screw 83coupling these items together. A friction washer 84 is interposedbetween the end of the fitting 81 and the side plate 67, while acompression spring 85 on the opposite side of this plate urges thefitting 81 toward the side plate. Consequently, there is a resistance tothe rotation of the shaft 82 and, as a result, the rod 80 will stay inany desired position. When not in use, it may be pulled upwardly to thephantom-line position of FIGURE 1, or it may be moved downwardly so thatits bent end portion 86 is substantially parallel and adjacent thesurface which is being painted. The end 86 thereby acts as a convenientmeans for following some previously established marking to assure thatthe line will be exactly in the desired location.

It should be understood that the device of this invention can be usedfor painting other than striping as for the embodiment described herein.The roller 8 can be used wherever a pressurized feed is available. Forwall painting in which the unit will not be rolled about the floor, apoWer operated pump may be included to supply the roller rather than thepump 7 which is driven by the wheel of the unit. All the advantages ofrapid and even paint application, together with the low cost anddisposal of the parts contacting the paint, are retained.

The roller 8 is readily adapted to paint lines of various widths. Thismay be accomplished without altering any of the other components of themachine. For a narrower line, fewer annular members 52 may be includedon the tube 51. Of course, the opening 54 will be made only at thejunctures between the radial walls of the annular members as before.With fewer annular elements on the cylinder 51, the line will benarrower, but the hubs will firmly hold and position the roller asbefore by engaging the outer ends of the cylinder 51.

When constructed in the manner illustrated in FIG- URES 10 through 19,the invention provides even better performance in painting stripes overrough and uneven surfaces. Also, roller installation is simplified and,with the same basic components, the length of the roller can be variedso as to permit painting stripes of different widths. According to thisembodiment of the invention, the chassis and the pump are basically thesame as in the previously described arrangement. However, the parallelside plates 88 and 89 projecting forwardly of the chassis mount a pairof front support wheels 90, which are independent of the paint roller91. Short axles 92 rotatably connect the wheels 90 in their positions onthe outside of the plates 88 and 89 and slightly to the rear of theroller 91 so that the wheels 90 bear the weight of the front of thedevice. This permits the roller to be held separately with provision forcomplete vertical floating movement, as will be described below.

At the axial center part of the roller 91 there is a core 93 ofelongated generally cylindrical construction, this member being shown byitself in FIGURE 12. On the periphery of the core 93 inwardly of itsends are annular grooves 94- and 95. These grooves are interconnected bya plurality of longitudinally extending slots 96. In a typical example,there will be six of the slots 96 spaced equally about the periphery ofthe core 93. In between the annular grooves 94 and 95 are additionalwider annular recesses 98 and 99 which may be shallower than the endgrooves 94 and 95. This provides the core 93 with end cylindrical parts100 and 101, a relatively wide central land 102, and narrower end lands103 and 104 adjacent the grooves 94 and 95.

An axial bore 106 extends into the core 93 from the end adjacent thecylindrical section 101. From this bore 106 extend six radial apertures107, which communicate with the longitudinally extending slots 96 at themidportion of the core 93 intermediate the segments of the wide centerland 102.

Mounted on the core 93 intermediate the radial outer walls 108 and 109of the cylindrical end portions 100 and 101 is a sleeve assembly 110.The latter unit includes a tube 111, normally made of cardboard, aroundwhich are annular flexible members 112. These, as for the elements 52,preferably are made of foam plastic material. In the arrangement ofFIGURE 11, there are five of the annular members 112, and the sleeveassembly extends the full length of the core 93 between the end Walls108 and 109 of the core. Openings 114 are provided in the tube 111 atthe junctures 115 between the abutting radial walls of the annularmembers 112. These openings are spaced around the periphery of the tube,and communicate with the annular end grooves 94 and 95 as Well as theintermediate annular recesses 98 and 99.

Unlike the members 52 previously described, the elements 112 includeradially directed axially extending slots 116 extending inwardly fromtheir outer surfaces 117. These slots are relatively shallow, extendingradially considerably less than the full depth of the flexible members112.

At the outer ends of the sleeve assembly and the core are washers 119that are held in place by nuts 120 received on threaded portions 121 and122 that extend axially outward from the ends of the core element 93.This retains the sleeve assembly 110 on the core unit 93.

Projecting beyond the threaded section 121 is a short joumal 124. Whenthe roller 91 is mounted on the chassis, the journal 124 fits within avertical slot 125 in the forward part of the plate 88.

At the opposite end of the roller 91, one end 126 of an L-shaped tube127 projects into the bore 106, being sealed by an O-ring 128. A flange129 is welded onto the tube 127, acting as a stop to position the tubewith respect to the core 93. Outwardly of the flange 129, the tube fitsWithin a vertical slot 130 in the side plate 89, corresponding to theslot 125 in the other plate. Beyond this location, the tube 127 connectsto the paint feed line 17 coming from the pump 7.

In use of the device, when the roller turns as the chassis is moved, thejournal 124 rotates in the slot 125, while the core 93 rotates relativeto the tube end 126. As before, the rotating rear wheels 3 operate thepump 7 so that paint is drawn from the container 5. This paint is forcedthrough the flexible tube 17 into the rigid tubular member 127, passinginto the bore 106-. At the center of the bore the six radial openings107 carry the paint to the recessed portions of the periphery of thecore 93. The paint may flow along the longitudinally extending slots 96and around the annular recesses 98 and 99 as well as through the endgrooves 94 and 95. Hence, the paint can readily communicate with all theperforations 114 through the tube 111 that mounts the foam plasticannular members 112. Therefore, the paint can travel along the juncturebetween the radial end walls of the ele ments 112 to reach theperipheral surface 117 of these elements. At the periphery, the axiallyextending slots 116 permit the paint to travel for the full width ofeach of the annular members 112. Thus, the paint flows outwardly betweenthe radial walls, and then axially with respect to the roller along thefull length of each of the slots 116. This gives complete and uniformdistribution of paint at the periphery of the roller.

By reason of its mounting, the roller 91 has full vertical floatingmovement with respect to the chassis as the device is used. The weightof the chassis will be borne by the wheels 90, while the roller 91 isfree to move vertically in the slots and relative to the wheels and theremainder of the unit. Therefore, regardless of any de pression orunevenness encounterd in the surface being painted, the roller may shiftits position appropriately to follow the contour of this surfaceirregularity so that full contact with the periphery of the roller isassured. Not only may the entire roller assembly move vertically, butthe ends of the roller may move upwardly or downwardly relative to eachother so that the roller can assume the attitude of the surface beingcontacted. Compression of the annular foam plastic members 112 islimited by the washers 119 at the ends of the sleeve assembly 110. Therelatively heavy metal core 93 assures that there is adequate downwardforce on the roller 91 so that it paints a solid sharp line as thedevice is wheeled along. This unit, therefore, is superior to thepreviously described arrangement in painting uneven surfaces because theroller 91 can float in the manner described, while in the previousembodiment the wheels 2 are an integral part of the hubs of the rollerand preclude independent roller movement.

Removal of the roller 91 is even simpler than for the roller 8 of thepreviously described embodiment. The unit 91 is simply lifted out of theslots 125 and 130, and the tube 127 is pulled out of the bore 106. Theknurled nuts 120 then are loosened and the sleeve assembly 110 slippedoff the core 93. Thus, cleanup and maintenance are effected rapidly andeasily.

This type of construction is particularly adapted for variation instripe width by utilizing paint rollers of different lengths. As shownin FIGURE 18, a considerably shorter roller 133 is mounted on the core93, provided with annular elements 134 similar to the members 112 but ofa narrower dimension. Thus, the roller 133 has less length and willpaint a thinner stripe than that provided by the roller 91. Inassembling the paint roller of FIGURE 18, the sleeve unit 133 is fittedon the central part of the core 93 so that its ends are at the lands 193and 104. Metal sleeves 135 and 136 fit over the core 93 at the ends ofthe roller unit 133, extending at their outer edges to the end walls 108and 109 of the core 93. Radial washers 137 and 138 are interposedbetween the inner ends of the spacers 135 and 136 in the sleeveassembly. This both positions the sleeve assembly 133 at the centralpart of the core and covers up the annular grooves 94 and 95.

By this arrangement, therefore, paint entering the recessed peripheralportions of the core through the apertures 107 will be pumped throughthe perforations 144 and the tube 139 of the sleeve assembly 133 and outbetween the radial walls of the members 134 similarly to the mannerdescribed above. However, the paint at the ends of the recessed part ofthe core surface, i.e., the paint at the grooves 94 and 95, is blockedby the walls of the sleeves 135 and 136 so that no leakage occurs atthat point. It can be seen, therefore, that this basic roller designpermits assembling sleevesof various lengths on the core so that desiredstripe width can be achieved. The variations are almost limitless simplyby putting appropriate spacer sleeves over the core at the ends of thepainting sleeve assembly. This will assure that the paint is fedoutwardly to the periphery of the roller, and no leakage takes place atthe ends of the core beyond the foam plastic elements.

An added feature, applicable to either embodiment, is constructing thepointer guide 140, shown in FIGURES 10 and 19, to serve also as asupport for the device when it is not in use. The rod 140, mounted onthe cross shaft 141 between the side plates 88 and 89, has a section 142beyond the shaft provided with a rubber tip 143. When the element 140 isrotated to a vertical position, such as shown in FIGURE 19, the tip 143engages the ground and lifts the forward part of the chassis free of thesurface beneath it. This is desirable to do intermediate stripingoperations so that there will be no spot formed by the residual paint inthe roller while the unit is being parked temporarily.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as givenby way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of thisinvention being limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A fluid application device comprising an elongated memberhaving an outer wall defined by a surface of revolution,

said member including a plurality of resilient substantiallyfluid-impervious annular members in an axially aligned relationship withthe side edges thereof in juxtaposition,

said annular members collectively defining said outer wall of saidelongated member, said elongated member having fluid passage meansinteriorly thereof adapted to receive a coating fluid,

said fluid passage means communicating with said annular members betweensaid side edges, for conducting said fluid intermediate said side edgesof said annular members to said outer wall for application to anadjacent surface. 2. A device as recited in claim 1 in which saidannular members are of resilient cellular foam plastic material.

3. A device as recited in claim 1 in which said annular members arerelatively short cylindrical discs of resilient cellular foam plasticmaterial, each of said discs having a plurality of axially extendingslots in the outer periphery thereof for distributing fluid at saidperiphery. 4. A fluid application device comprising a rotatablecylindrical element, said element including a plurality of resilientsubstantially fluid-impervious annular members in an axially alignedrelationship with the side edges thereof in juxtaposition, said an- 10nular members collectively defining the circumferential surface of saidcylindrical element,

said cylindrical element having a relatively rigid portion inwardly ofsaid annular members, and including fluid passage means in saidrelatively rigid portion,

said fluid passage means providing communication between the interior ofsaid cylindrical element and said side edges of said resilient annularmember, for transmitting fluid from the interior of said cylindricalelement intermediate said side edges to said circumferential surface,

and means for supplying pressurized fluid to said fluid passage meansfor such transmission to said circumferential surface.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 including in addition a wheeled membercarrying said cylindrical element,

said wheeled member including means for supporting a fluid reservoir,

conduit means for interconnecting such a reservoir and the interior ofsaid cylindrical element,

and pump means for forcing fluid from said reservoir through saidconduit means to said cylindrical element, thereby providing said meansfor supplying pressurized fluid.

6. A device as recited in claim 4 including in addition a wheeledmember,

means mounting said cylindrical element on said wheeled member withfreedom for vertical floating movement relative to said wheeled member,

said wheeled member including means for supporting a fluid reservoir,

conduit means for interconnecting such a reservoir and the interior ofsaid cylindrical element,

and pump means for forcing fluid from said reservoir through saidconduit means to said cylindrical element, there-by providing said meansfor supplying pressurized fluid.

7. A device as recited in claim 6 in which for said mounting means saidchassis includes.

a duality of spaced members, each of said members including asubstantially vertically disposed slot therein,

said roller having axial end portions extending into said slots,

said axial portions being slidable within said slots to thereby providesaid floating movement.

8. A device as recited in claim 7 in which one of said axial portionscomprises a journal extending from one end of said roller,

and the other of said axial portions comprises a substantially rigidtube received in the opposite end of said roller,

said roller being rotatable relative to said tube, said tubecommunicating with said fluid inlet means and forming a portion of saidconduit means.

9. A painting device comprising a roller,

said roller including a rotatable cylinder and a plurality of annularmembers on said cylinder,

said annular members being in an abutting side-by-side relationship, andmade of a substantially fluid-impervious resilient material,

said cylinder having aperture means in the circumferential wall thereofadjacent and in communication with the abutting surfaces of said annularmembers,

said cylinder having a fluid passageway in communication with saidaperture means in said cylindrical wall,

and means for providing pressurized fluid to said fluid passageway forpermitting said fluid to flow outwardly through said aperture means andbetween said abutting surfaces for application by the exterior of saidannular members to an adjacent surface.

10. A painting device comprising a roller, Said roller including arotatable cylinder, and a plurality of annular members on said cylinder,each of said annular members including an outer circumferential wall andradial side walls, said annular members being arranged in a side-by-sideaxially aligned relationship on said cylinder with said radial walls injuxtaposition, said cylinder having aperture means adjacent and incommunication with said radial walls, said cylinder having an internalfluid passageway communicating with said aperture means, said annularmembers being of a resilient substantially fluid-impervious cellularmaterial, and means for providing a pressurized fluid to said internalfluid passageway for causing said fluid to flow outwardly through saidaperture means in said cylinder and between said radial side walls ofsaid annular members for application by said circumferential walls ofsaid annular members to an adjacent surface. 11. A device as recited inclaim in which said roller includes a pair of hub members removablyengaging the outer ends of said cylinder, a fluid supply tube extendingaxially into said cylinder through one of said hubs, said tube being ofsmaller diameter than the inner diameter of said cylinder, and havingaperture means therethrough for emptying fluid into said cylinder, and aspacer block interposed between said tube and the inner circumferentialwall of said cylinder for decreasing the interior volume of saidcylinder, said spacer block having apertures therethrough fortransmitting fluid from said fluid supply tube to said apertures in saidcylinder. 12. A device as recited in claim 10 in which said means forproviding pressurized fluid comprises a fluid reservoir, a conduitextending from said reservoir to said cylinder, and a pump for pumpingsaid fluid from said reservoir to said cylinder. 13. A device as recitedin claim 12 including in addition wheel means for supporting saidreservoir, and drive means interconnecting said wheel means and saidpump for causing said wheel means to operate said pump upon rotation ofsaid wheel means. 14. A fluid application device comprising a rotatablecylindrical element, said element including an inner core portion, saidcore portion having an interior fluid passageway, and an exteriorlongitudinal surface, said surface having recess means therein fordistributing fluid along said surface, said core including aperturemeans interconnecting said interior fluid passageway and said recessmeans, and a sleeve means, said sleeve means including a tubular memberreceiving said core, and a plurality of cylindrical discs of resilientfoam plastic material resistant to the flow of fluid, said membershaving substantially radial side walls and being received on said tubein a side-by-side abutting relationship, with the outer surfaces of saidresilient members collectively defining a substantially cylindricalsurface, said tubular member having apertures therethrough providingcommunication between said recess means and said abutting side walls,and means for supplying pressurized fluid to said interior fluidpassageway for conduction of said fluid through said aperture means tosaid recess means and thence through said apertures in said tubularmember and between said abutting side walls to said outer surfaces ofsaid discs. 15. A device as recited in claim 14 including in addi tionspacer sleeve means on said core axially outwardly of said firstmentioned sleeve means, said spacer sleeve means covering portions ofsaid recess means for precluding fluid leakage at said portions. 16. Adevice as recited in claim 14 in which each of said resilient foamplastic discs includes a plurality of axially extending relativelyshallow slots in the cylindrical periphery thereof for distributingfluid to said periphery. 17. A painting device comprising a chassis,said chassis including rear wheel means and front wheel means, saidchassis having a surface for holding a fluid supply container, a rollercarried by said chassis for applying fluid to an adjacent surface, saidroller having fluid inlet means interiorly thereof, said rollerincluding a plurality of adjacent resilient annular members collectivelydefining an exterior circumferential surface of said roller forengagement with said adjacent surface, and means for conducting saidfluid from the interior of said roller to said exterior circumferentialsurface of said roller, conduit means, said conduit means connecting toone end of said roller for supplying fluid thereto, the other end ofsaid conduit means being insertable into a fluid supply container onsaid surface of said chassis, and a pump carried by said chassis forpumping fluid through said conduit means from said fluid supplycontainer and to said roller under pressure. 18. A device as recited inclaim 17 in which said pump includes a rotatable member having spacedperipheral projections thereon, said projections being engageable withsaid conduit, said conduit being of flexible nature adjacent saidrotatable member, and a rigid member engaging said conduit opposite saidrotatable member, whereby upon rotation of said rotatable member saidperipheral projections collapse said conduit toward said rigid member,and move said collapsed portions toward said roller for thereby pumpingfluid from said container toward said roller. 19. A device as recited inclaim 18 including in addition means movably carrying said rigid memberfor selectively allowing movement of said rigid member to a positionrelatively remote from said conduit, for permitting removal of saidconduit from the vicinity of said pump. 20. A device as recited in claim18 including in addition a drive pulley for said rotatable member, saiddrive pulley being frictionally engageable with the circumference of oneof said wheels for rotation by said wheel, whereby rotation of saidwheel drives said pump. 21. A painting device comprising a chassis, saidchassis including rear wheel means and front wheel means, said chassishaving a surface for holding a fluid supply container, a roller,

means rotatably mounting said roller on said chassis for applying fluidto an adjacent surface beneath said chassis,

said mounting means including means for providing said roller withfreedom for vertical movement relative to said chassis,

said roller having fluid inlet means interiorly thereof,

a core communicating with said fluid inlet means, a

plurality of abutting resilient foam plastic annular discs collectivelydefining an exterior circumferenti'al surface of said roller,

and means for conducting said fluid from the interior of said core ofsaid roller to said exterior circumferential surface of said roller,

conduit means,

said conduit means connecting to one end of said roller for supplyingfluid thereto, the other end of said conduit means being insertable intoa fluid supply container on said surface of said chassis,

and a pump carried by said chassis for pumping fluid through saidconduit means from said fluid supply container and to said roller underpressure.

22. A painting device comprising a chassis,

said chassi having a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels, and asupport surface adapted to support a paint can,

a roller carried intermediate said front wheels and adapted to engagethe surface adjacent said chassis,

said roller including a cylinder,

and a plurality of annular members of cellular compressible material onthe exterior of said cylinder,

said annular members having radial walls in juxtaposition, said cylinderhaving apertures therethrough aligned with said radial walls,

said roller having an axial inlet for receiving paint for distributionoutwardly through said cylinder and between said radial walls forapplication by the circumferential surfaces of said annular members,

a tube extending from said axial inlet to a location adjacent saidsupport surface for insertion into a paint can supported on saidsurface,

and a pump,

said pump including a rotatable disc,

a plurality of relatively smaller rollers projecting outwardly from saiddisc, with the axes of said rollers parallel to the axis of rotation ofsaid disc,

said rollers being engageable with the exterior of said tube,

a rigid member movably held adjacent said disc for acting as a backingfor said rollers, whereby upon rotation of said discs said rollerslocally flatten said tube against said rigid member for pumping paintthrough said tube,

a drive shaft for said disc,

a pulley for rotating said drive shaft,

and adjustable means for mounting said drive shaft, disc and pulley onsaid chassis for selective engagement of said pulley with the peripheryof one of said rear wheels, whereby rotation of said rear wheel causesrotation of said pulley and said disc for driving said pump.

23. A device as recited in claim 22 in which for said adjustable meansmounting said drive shaft, pulley and disc there is provided a secondshaft pivotally mounted on said chassis,

a member rotatably mounting said drive shaft,

said member being rotatably carried by said second shaft,

and a manually rotatable lever for rotating said second shaft so as tocause said mounting member to move said drive pulley into a position ofengagement with the periphery of said rear wheel.

24. A device as recited in claim 23 in which said chassis includes anupwardly extending handle for permitting manual manipulation thereof,

a cable extending upwardly of said handle,

said cable being connected with said lever whereby upon pulling on saidcable said lever is rotated in one direction to cause said movement ofsaid pulley to said periphery of said wheel,

and including resilient means biasing said lever in the oppositedirection for normally holding said pulley away from said wheel.

25. A painting device comprising a chassis,

said chassis having a pair of front wheels,

a pair of rear wheels,

and a support surface adapted to support a paint can,

a roller,

means mounting said roller on said chassis adjacent said front wheelsfor engaging an adjacent surface beneath said chassis,

said mounting means including means for providing said roller withfreedom for vertical floating movement relative to said chassis,

said roller including a cylinder,

and a plurality of annular members of cellular compressible material onthe exterior of said cylinder,

said annular members having radial walls in juxtaposition,

said cylinder having apertures therethrough aligned with said radialwalls,

said roller having an axial inlet for receiving paint for distributionoutwardly through said cylinder and between said radial walls forapplication by the circumferential surfaces of said annular members,

' a tube extending from said axial inlet to a location ad jacent saidsupport surface for insertion into a paint can supported on saidsurface,

and a pump,

said pump including a rotatable disc, a plurality of relatively smallerrollers projecting outwardly from said disc, with the axes of saidsmaller rollers parallel to the axis of rotation of said disc,

said smaller rollers being engageable with the exterior of said tube,

a rigid member movably held adjacent said disc for acting as a backingfor said smaller rollers whereby upon rotation of said disc said smallerrollers locally flatten said tube against said rigid member for pump-'ing paint through said tube,

a drive shaft for said disc,

a pulley for rotating said drive shaft,

and adjustable means for mounting said drive shaft,

disc and pulley on said chassis for selective engagement of said pulleywith the periphery of one of said rear wheels, whereby rotation of saidrear wheel causes rotation of said pulley and said disc for driving saidpump.

26. A fluid application device comprising a wheeled member adapted formovement across a surface to receive fluid application,

said wheeled member including means for supporting a fluid reservoir,

a fluid distribution means,

said fluid distribution means including a roller,

means interconnecting said roller and said wheeled member for causingsaid roller to engage a surface supporting said wheeled member,

said interconnecting means including means for providing verticalfloating movement of said roller relative to said wheeled member,

conduit means interconnecting such a reservoir and said fluiddistribution means,

and pump means for forcing fluid from said reservoir through saidconduit means to said fluid distribution means under pressure, forthereby supplying fluid to said fluid distribution means,

said pump means being operable by the movement of said wheeled member onsaid surface.

27. A painting device comprising a roller,

said roller having internal fluid conduit means providing a passagewayfrom the interior of said roller to the periphery thereof,

a conduit connected to said interior for conducting a fluid thereto,

said conduit having a flexible portion,

a rotatable member having spaced projections thereon,

an arcuate member adjacent the periphery of said rotatable member,

said flexible portion of said conduit being interposed between saidrotatable member and said arcuate member,

and resilient means for positioning said arcuate member in said positionof adjacency whereby upon rotation of said rotatable member saidflexible conduit is locally collapsed by said spaced projections forthe-reby urging a fluid through said conduit, and upon generation of apredetermined downstream pressure in said conduit said pressure willcause said arcuate member to move away from said rotatable member inopposition to said resilient means for thereby reducing the amount ofsaid collapsing of said conduit and reducing the amount of fluid pumpedthrough said conduit to said roller.

28. A painting device comprising a roller,

said roller having a circumferential surface for applying paint,

an internal passageway and passage means interconnecting said internalpassageway and said circumferential surface for supplying paint to saidsurface,

a conduit connected to said internal passageway,

a rotatable member,

a plurality of relatively small rollers projecting outwardly from saidrotatable member with the axes of said relatively small rollers parallelto the axis of rotation of said rotatable member,

said conduit extending adjacent the periphery of said rotatable memberso that upon rotation of said rotatable member said relatively smallrollers are engageable with the exterior of said conduit,

an arcuate rigid member,

means holding said arcuate rigid member adjacent said rotatable memberin engagement with said conduit for acting as a backing for saidrelatively small rollers, whereby upon rotation of said rotatablemembers said relatively small rollers locally flatten said conduitagainst said rigid member for pumping paint through said conduit,

means for rotating said rotatable member,

and resilient means for movably holding said arcuate rigid member insaid position of adjacency, whereby upon generation of a predeterminedback pressure in said conduit said resilient means allows movement ofsaid arcuate rigid member away from said rotatable member for therebyreducing the amount of said local flattening of said conduit andreducing the pumping through said conduit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,434,802 1/1948Jacobs 103-149 2,778,046 1/1957 Fisher 15-503 3,052,909 9/1962 Russell155()3 3,140,666 7/1964 Currie 103-449 FOREIGN PATENTS 874,057 4/ 1942France.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

26. A FLUID APPLICATION DEVICE COMPRISING A WHEELED MEMBER ADAPTED FORMOVEMENT ACROSS A SURFACE TO RECEIVE FLUID APPLICATION, SAID WHEELEDMEMBER INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A FLUID RESERVOIR, A FLUIDDISTRIBUTION MEANS, SAID FLUID DISTRIBUTION MEANS INCLUDING A ROLLER,MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID ROLLER AND SAID WHEELED MEMBER FOR CAUSINGSAID ROLLER TO ENGAGE A SURFACE SUPPORTING SAID WHEELED MEMBER, SAIDINTERCONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR PROVIDING VERTICAL FLOATINGMOVEMENT OF SAID ROLLER RELATIVE TO SAID WHEELED MEMBER, CONDUIT MEANSINTERCONNECTING SUCH A RESERVOIR AND SAID FLUID DISTRIBUTION MEANS, ANDPUMP MEANS FOR FORCING FLUID FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID CONDUITMEANS TO SAID FLUID DISTRIBUTION MEANS UNDER PRESSURE, FOR THEREBYSUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID FLUID DISTRIBUTION MEANS, SAID PUMP MEANS BEINGOPERABLE BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID WHEELED MEMBER ON SAID SURFACE.